Independent assessor credentials Wanganui Hospital’s ophthalmology department

06/04/2011 | Wanganui Hospital’s ophthalmology department

Wanganui Hospital’s ophthalmology department recently became the first Wanganui medical service to be credentialed by an independent assessor from within the centralAlliance.

While Wanganui Hospital has for some time, had credientialing processes in place for reviewing the practice of individual doctors, it is now entering into the process of independent reviews of the entire service in which the doctor practices.This new process is in keeping with an established process at MidCentral Health.

MidCentral Health ophthalmologist Kay Evans assisted the WDHB’s six-person credentialing committee with their evaluation of the Wanganui ophthalmology service – a move welcomed by WDHB credentialing committee chairperson and orthopaedic surgeon John van Dalen.

Mr van Dalen says the process saw Wanganui Hospital’s ophthalmology department undergo a rigorous assessment. One recommendation from this assessment was that WDHB’s sole opthalmologist Jan de Kok and MidCentral Health’s three opthalmologists coordinate their medical discussions at a formal monthly meeting to be held at Palmerston North Hospital.

For close to a year, senior doctors employed in women’s health at WDHB and MDHB have had a reciprocal arrangement that sees senior doctors credentialed in Wanganui not having to be formally credentialed in Palmerston North and vice versa.

“But this is the first time we’ve had a medical service credentialed by an independent assessor,” Mr van Dalen says. “It’s an important move for our centralAlliance arrangement with MidCentral Health.”

What is credentialing?

Credentialing is a robust certification system designed to ensure that senior doctors are safe to practice within the hospital environment. Every one of New Zealand’s 20 District Health Boards has its own credentialing committee comprised of senior doctors with a range of specialist skills.

Six senior doctors and a consumer representative sit on Wanganui Hospital’s committee whereas the MidCentral Health committee is comprised of 12 members including seven senior doctors.

Credentialing committees evaluate their peers as individuals and the wider clinical services that are provided by a hospital. Evaluation is based on competencies, scope of practice and their educational programmes.

WDHB’s credentialing committee meets every two weeks to evaluate individuals as well as services.
WDHB and MDHB senior doctors are evaluated before being offered a position, and six months following their appointment. Thereafter, senior doctors are credentialed every three to five years. It might be more often if they change their scope of practice such as moving from anaesthetics to the intensive care unit.

Contacts

Whanganui District Health Board senior communications and media advisor Sue Campion, telephone (06) 348-1312; or MidCentral District Health Board communications spokesperson Dennis Geddis (06) 350-8900.